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The roadshow
Watson’s Wine has been at the frontier of
developing wine culture in second- and third-
tier cities. After seeing that first-tier cities
already had a wealth of wine exhibitions,
the company began running roadshows in
the second- and third-tier cities. “In these
cities, consumers are less knowledgeable
about wine, but interest is growing. Wine
education remains the key to growing wine
culture in these areas,” Mr Lai adds.
These events provide a valuable
opportunity to introduce the different
brands and winemakers to second- and
third-tier city consumers, and to discuss
the qualities of different wines and wine
pairing with local food.
At each of these roadshows, Watson’s
Wine invites representatives from some of
the biggest wineries around the world to
host booths and interact with customers.
Visitors can go directly to the source for in-
depth knowledge about the products they
are sipping right at that moment, and can
explore the flavour, the texture, or even the
grapes or process the wine was made with.
“This is an annual activity to bring wine
culture to end consumers in second- and
third-tier cities,” explains Mr Lai.
Brave newworld
Due to its dominant share of imported
wines, French wine has traditionally been
the first choice for new wine drinkers.
As part of their mission to elevate wine
culture, Watson’s Wine tries to open the
eyes of consumers to different and exciting
possibilities. They introduce consumers to
other wine regions outside of the dominant
French selection, including European
options like Italian and Spanish wines as
well as NewWorld options such as Chilean,
Argentinean and Californian wines. “As
consumers become more knowledgeable
about other wine options, we are seeing an
influx of NewWorld wines, particularly at
the entry level,” says Mr Lai.
But Watson’s Wine can’t claim all the
credit, Mr Lai explains. “In general the
market has been normalising in the past
two years. Consumers are beginning to
look for value for money rather than just
picking out the most expensive wine on
the list.”
This hunt for value has led to more
experimentation with non-French wines,
helping fuel the growth of consumption of
New World wines. Even dessert wines –
such as Canada’s icewine varietals – often
have a bigger following in China than their
home countries.
Experimentation must be paired with
essential education from organisations like
Watson’s Wine. “With more education
and understanding of wine being part of
food, there will be many opportunities for
pairings involving New World wines and
white wines,” says Mr Lai.
Maturing gracefully
While the Mainland has rapidly become
the world’s fifth-largest consumer of wine,
wine culture there, like wine itself, will need
time to age gracefully.
“This shift is not going to happen overnight.
It takes time and effort by players like us to
continue to drive the wine culture through
the provision of more wine education and
product training. The more informed the
consumers become, the more confident
they will be to choose their own wine for
different occasions,” says Mr Lai.
“This will continue to fuel both the growth
of wine culture in the Mainland and
opportunities for Watson’s Wine.”
The white wines
Baijiu is translated literally as “white
wine”, but the Chinese product is very
different from its Western namesake.
From its place in traditional culture
and the way it is produced, to the
way it interacts with your palate, the
differences are immense.
As China’s ‘national drink’, baijiu has
been the traditional choice for state-
level banquets. It is often enjoyed
during family celebrations, business
negotiations and holiday festivities,
especially among second- and
third-tier cities. Western wine, on
the other hand, only began catching
on in China in the past decade or so.
White wine in particular has only just
begun to grow in popularity among
more sophisticated drinkers.
Baijiu is a distilled alcohol made
from grain, generally with alcohol
by volume (ABV) of 40–60 per
cent. It is normally served at room
temperature in a small ceramic
bottle, and then poured into a small
cup or shot glass. Western white
wine, however, is made through
the fermentation of grapes, with a
maximum ABV of 15 per cent, and,
unlike red wines, the juice of the
grape is separated from the skin
before fermentation.
The flavour of white wine ranges
from dry to sweet, and it must be
chilled to be in the best condition
for drinking, although it must not be
served with ice. Baijiu on the other
hand, represents an entire category of
spirits, and its flavour depends on the
choice of grain or proportions used.
But no matter what variation, the drink
can be strong, somewhat fiery and,
to the uninitiated, sometimes quite
unpleasant.
With the wine market booming
rapidly and wine becoming
increasingly popular
in China, the Chinese
now have white wines
for all occasions.
Gan bei! (Cheers!)
Credit: Kwan Cheuk Heen,
Harbour Grand Hong Kong
Watson’s Wine has trained professionals to guide customers through their
inventory of over 6,000 wines and spirits.
